Artificial limb



June 24, 1947. A. w. ROGERS ARTIFICIAL LIMB Filed April 25, 1945 2Sheets-Sheet l Hag/e! 7K .Zigem. I

WWW EM? June 24, 1947. A. w. ROGERS I ARTIFICIAL LIMB Filed April 25,19.45

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 24, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEARTIFICIAL LIMB Argicl W. Rogers, Long Beach, Calif. Application April25, 1945, Serial No. 590,141

Claims.

This invention relates to artificial limbs and particularly toartificial legs and has for an object to provide a more natural and morecomfortable limb than any I have been able to find.

Another object of the invention is to provide an artificial leg only onecomparatively inexpensive member of which has to be renewed uponshrinkage of the stump of the natural limb which reoccurs ever so often.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an artificial leg meansfor nice adjustment relative to the user thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide in an artificial legmeans whereby when in sit ting position the foot sole of the foot mayrest flat upon the floor, thus lending a more natural appearance to theleg.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an artificial leg meanswhereby the leg may be caused to pivot toward the toe of the foot inorder that the user may easily assume a squatting position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such clearancebetween the upper portion of the leg and its boot whereby free kneeaction is permitted and adjustments may more readily be made.

Another object is to so construct the femoro stump receiving socketmember as to reduce its original and replacement costs, provide areduced diameter thereof so as not to be noticed with the trouser legand yet be strong and durable.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying illustrative drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my improved leg, difierentpositions thereof relative to the foot being shown in dotted lines,

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view of the l e.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2, parts beingremoved,

Figure 5 is a top plan view, partly in section, looking into the leg,and

Figure 6 is a section on line 56 of Figure 5.

In the following specification as well as in the above illustrateddrawings, like reference characters designate like parts in which I0 ismy improved limb including the socket member leg portion I2, and footIS. The member H is formed of a leather cup or socket l4, into which thefemoro stump of wearers limb seats. This cup is wrapped with copper wirel5, around which is applied a coating of solder l6, which is just heavyenough to form a strong support for the stump yet by far not so bulky asan all leather cup, the Walls of which must be very thick in order tostand up under the weight placed thereon. The bottom of my cup member His provided with a bottom disk H, to which is bolted a metal cap plateI8, by means of bolts I9, which can is the head of a tubular tibia orshin member 20, the lower end 2| of which is somewhat flattened in andis provided with a transverse bore which projects down into the pocket22, formed in a block 23, which is seated upon a rubher cushion 24. Bothof the members 23 and 24 are secured within the cavity 25, in heelportion 25, of the foot l3, by means of a U-bolt 21, the arms 28 and 28of which proj ct t u h the bottom wall 35 of said foot. The head 3|, ofsaid bolt 21, passes through a longitudinal horizontally disposed bore32, in the center of the block 23, and forms a slight pivoting means forthe block, which is limited by the clearance between the side walls 33and. 34, of the cavity 25, and the action of cushion 24, but which issufficient to permit sidewise bending of the foot, which will avoidshocks in certain instances, which otherwise would be transmitted to thewearers stump. This sidewise movement also tends to lend naturalness inwalking.

The said end 2| of member 2|) is secured within said pocket 22, by meansof a pivot pin 35, passing through transverse bores 35 and 37, in theblock 23, and through the above referred to bore in said end 2 I.

Secured to the member 20, by the terminals 38, 39, 40, etc., are U-bolts4| and 4.2, the heads 43 and 44, of'which pass through a block 45, towhich block is secured tubes 46 and 41, to which are adjustablysupported screw-threaded rods 48 and 49. The lower end 5|], of member48, projects down into the pocket 22, and is secured therein by means ofa, pin 5|, to which it is welded. The member 48, is substantially asubstitute for the fibula of the human leg. The block 45, which is of a,suitable rigid material, has front and back plates 52 and 53, securedthereto by bolts 54 and 55, and through an aperture 56, in plate 52, andan aligning recess 51, in block 45, the end 58, of a pin 59, is adaptedto seat. Said pin passes slidably through bores and GI, in the front andback walls of member 20. The .position of the pin 59, when in itslocking position permits only a slight pivotal movement of member 20,limited by the vertical length of the slot 60, which allows justsufficient movement for walking. However, in order to assume a, sittingor squatting position, such as indicated in dotted lines BI and 62, ofFigure 1, pin 59, may be withdrawn fro-m engagement with the member 45,by means of a leaf spring 63, through which the head 64, of said pin 59,passes, thus freeing member 45, to slide up or down upon the saidU-heads 43 and 44, and also permitting freepivotal movement of member20, either forward or backward.

The lower end 65, of spring 63, has a right angular projection 66, whichbears upon the member 20, and its upper end 61, is normally pressedforward by a spring 68, whereby the pin 56 is normally held in lockingposition relative to member 45. However, to the extreme upper end 69, ofspring 63, is secured the end T0, of a strap 1!, which is adjustablyattached to a staple ll, through means of a buckle "ll", with justsufficient slack. to permit of free walking movement; however, bythrowing the leg back to take up the slack. spring. 63, is drawn againstthe tension of coil spring 68, drawing out pin 59, and releasing block45, to permit free movement of the leg back or forward as indicated at5! and 62, of Figure 1.

The members 43, 49- and '28, are adjustable through means of the nuts[2, I3, 14 and 15. A shell 16, encases the tibia and fibula members 26and 45, and connections and is so shaped at its bottom edge 11, as tohave the free movementrelativeto the foot [3, as indicated in Figure 1of the drawings. The. tub 46, is formed of rubber or other such elementwhich will permit of sufficient movement between tibia and fibulamembers for ease in walking and give natural. springiness to themovement of the leg. To the instep portion 18, of the foot I3, issecured a toe end 19, formed of rubber, by means of its tongue. 80,seating in a. groove 8|, in said portion 18, and held by pins 82.

From the. foregoing it will be obvious that upon such. shrinking of theusers stump it would be necessary to replace a new cup properly fitted,instead of an entire new leg.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the inventionafter considering the description in connection with the drawings.Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details and parts suchas come within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to,in actual practice, if desired.

Having. now described my invention that which I claim asnew and desireto procure by Letters Patent is:

1. An artificial leg. including a stump cup, a leg section and a foot,said cup being spaced from the leg portion, a tubular tibia memberforming the spacing means, said member having transverse pivotalconnection with the foot, a fibula member having slidable connectionwith the tibia member and normally limited pivotal connection with thefoot, mean whereby the fibula member may limit movement of the tibiamember, said means being a spring actuated lock pin and automatic meansfor releasing the pin, said cup comprising a leather lining, a Wrappingof wire therearound and a lead coating formed on the wire.

2. An artificial leg including a stump cup, a leg section and a foot,said cup being spaced from the leg portion, a tubular tibia memberforming the spacing means, said member having transverse pivotalconnection with the foot, a fibula member having slidable connectionwith the tibia member and normally limited pivotal connection with thefoot, means whereby the fibula member may limit movement of the tibiamember, said means being a spring actuated lock pin and automatic meansfor releasing the pin.

3. An artificial leg including a stump cup, a leg section and a foot,said cup being spaced from the leg portion, a tubular tibia memberforming the spacing means, said member having transverse pivotalconnection with the foot, a fibula member having slidable connectionwith the tibia member and normally limited pivotal connection withv thefoot, and means whereby the fibula member may limit movement of thetibia member, said means being a spring actuated lock pm.

4. An artificial; leg including a stumpcup, a section and a foot, saidcup being spaced above the leg portion, a tubular tibia member formingthe spacing means, said member having transverse pivotal connection withthe foot, a fibula member having slidable connection with the tibiamember and normally limited pivotal connection with the foot, andresiliently biased means for limiting movement of the tibia member.

5. An artificial leg comprising a stump cup, a leg section, a tibiamember secured to said stump cup and spacing said cup and leg sections,a foot portion pivotally secured to said tibia member, a resilient meansinterposed between said foot portion and said tibia, a fibula pivoted tosaid foot portion and slidably secured to said tibia member, means forlimiting the movement of the tibia member, said last means including. aresiliently biased locking pin and means for releasing. said pm.

ARGIEL. W. ROGERS. REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date- 1,283,093 Critchley Oct. 29,1.918 1,361,062 Ing-old Dec. 7,. 1920 83,496 Head Oct. 2'7, 1868 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 250,720 Italy Nov. 8., 1926

